Recently, a heartfelt letter from a second-grade teacher captured widespread attention for a good reason. “This year, there will be no formally assigned homework,” she informed parents. “Instead, I encourage you to spend your evenings engaging in activities that promote student success. Have dinner as a family, read together, enjoy some outdoor play, and ensure your child gets to bed early.” Personally, I believe she’s hit on something significant. You know what else likely contributes to student success? Parents who are less stressed out. And what would alleviate my stress? Not having to endure THE NIGHTLY TORTURE OF HOMEWORK.
Let me clarify: I’m not criticizing teachers. Truly, teachers, I appreciate everything you do daily because I struggle to keep it together during our evenings. I’m sure you’re not in your classrooms scheming to drive me mad with each take-home assignment.
Homework adds yet another layer to an already overwhelming list of tasks I must manage in the short span of about four chaotic weeknight hours. From 4 PM, when my kids return from school, to 8 PM, when I start the process of getting them ready for bed, there are backpacks to sift through, papers to organize and sign, and dinner to prepare, consume, and clean up afterward. Then come bath time and teeth brushing. I also want to carve out a bit of playtime for my kids. This is all on a night free of extracurricular activities; throw in a soccer practice or a martial arts class, and the time crunch becomes even more apparent. And let’s not forget: children are notoriously slow.
Now, add homework to the mix. When I announce, as cheerfully as I can muster, “Time for homework!” my kids do not leap into action to grab their math books and worksheets. No, I’m met with inevitable whining and sluggishness, dragging their feet like extras from a zombie movie. Then comes the inevitable search for a pencil—only to find that it’s dull and requires yet another hunt for the sharpener.
That’s merely the setup. The actual homework process is even more excruciating. Even the simplest task, like “Color this cat yellow!” transforms into an ordeal, as my children slump over their papers as if faced with a graduate-level thesis on the mating habits of fruit flies. They write about one word every two minutes, punctuated by complaints of “I caaaaan’t” and “It’s so haaaaard,” regardless of the actual difficulty. If they submit a half-hearted answer, I insist they redo it, which incites a new wave of protests.
It would be wonderful if I could simply say, “Complete your homework!” and walk away, but that’s as effective as setting out ingredients for a meal and expecting it to cook itself. Homework requires supervision, guidance, and redirection. Meanwhile, I should be tackling laundry or other tasks, but instead, I’m hovering over my kids as they whine.
You’d think they’d learn through this torturous process, but they never seem to grasp that it would be easier for everyone involved if they just got it done. If they would buckle down and cut out the whining and procrastination, we could finish in half (no, a quarter!) of the time. Yet, no matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to get them to comprehend that.
The situation worsens when they bring home genuinely challenging assignments and seek help. My math skills are atrocious; when my fifth-grader presents me with complex equations that require step-by-step solutions, I feel utterly lost. Nothing humbles you more than struggling with a question that’s meant for elementary students. We sit there, both of us grappling with frustration as our patience evaporates.
Unless I make a grand motivational speech that sparks a miraculous change in my kids’ attitudes, homework will remain the dark cloud overshadowing our evenings. We tackle it out of necessity, but I can’t fault the kids for not wanting to do it—because I don’t either.
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter how easy the homework is; it just adds one more obligation to our already packed evenings when, frankly, we’re all a bit worn out from the day’s demands.
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Summary: The struggle with homework at home can be a daunting task for both parents and children, often adding to the daily stress of family life. Balancing time for dinner, play, and other responsibilities while managing homework proves challenging. Finding ways to motivate children and streamline the homework process can significantly ease evening tensions.